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No. 104634

FRIDAY AUGUST 5, 2016

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Bring the evidence

- President urges PPP to either prove ethnic discrimination claims, or take matter to the courts

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Millions of $$$ in stocks lost - as fire guts complex of city stores

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Owner of the gutted business complex, Rudat Persaud, looks on helplessly as firemen battle the blaze (Adrian Narine photos)

Gov’t says 11 parking meter contract- recommends not review illegal accountant proposed rates Page

Gov’t to establish National Border 12 Institute

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Overseas-based ‘homey’ pays it forward Page

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

Millions of $$$ in stocks lost

- as fire guts complex of city stores By Shirley Thomas GALLANT fire-fighting by members of the Guyana Fire Service yesterday averted a major inferno in downtown Georgetown when fire struck a four-storey building housing a number of stores at Avenue of the Republic and America Street. Shortly after 11:30hrs, the fire gutted the two upper flats of the four-storey building at ‘Raj Wholesale Complex,’ ruining millions of dollars in stocks and leaving dozens of workers on the breadline. The building is owned by businessman Rudat Persaud and houses several small businesses operated by tenants of his, many of whom are said to be his relatives. Among the businesses operating out of that complex were RAJ Variety, Trenz Citi Barbershop and Tattoo Shop, Razor Pro Barbershop, USA Style Fashions and several other boutiques and variety stores. An evidently shaken Persaud, who also has an office on the ground floor of the complex, told the Guyana Chronicle that he was sitting in his office when around 11:45 hrs a man named Troy came running breathlessly to him, saying: “Mike, Mike get up an come quick. Look black smoke coming from upstairs in de building!” He said he quickly responded and cringed when he saw what was his worst nightmare: his building was on fire. He quickly called the fire department and within minutes they arrived on the scene and got into action. In an effort to contain the fire to the one building, the firemen began dousing

A gathering of the curious across the way from the fire, just outside St Andrew’s Primary (Photos by Adrian Narine)

Gallant firemen surround the building, working from a winch and ladder to douse the fire on the four-storey building the upper sections of the building which by then was smoking heavily. Lamenting that losses would have run into hundreds of millions of dollars, he said his stocks had to be taken into consideration as well as his tenants’ stocks. And just one day earlier, on Wednesday, he had off-loaded a 40-ft container of merchandise, including clothing and boots into the building which he figured caused the heavy smoking. The firefighters did a

remarkable job at containing the fire to the one building and this was commended by Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan who visited the scene of the fire. But although the fire was contained to the three upper floors of the building, the businesses still suffered heavy losses, since what was not destroyed by fire would have been damaged by water drawn by firefighters from the nearby Avenue of the Republic canal. Three fire tenders were initially dispatched to the scene, and two more later, but in the absence of fire-hydrants in the vicinity, the fire-fighters faced major challenges sourcing

clean water to douse the burning building. They were forced to resort to accessing black, sludgy water from the nearby canal running along the Avenue of the Republic. While the fire-fighters did their best to contain the spread of the fire, those upstairs in the burning building faced smoke inhalation while those on the road beneath were occasionally forced to retreat as a result of shattered glass windows cascading heavily on them. An instrument was later brought to control the effects of the smoke. Owners of at least two

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

Bring the evidence

- President urges PPP to either prove ethnic discrimination claims, or take matter to the courts

By Ravin Singh OPPOSITION Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, and by extension the People's Progressive Party (PPP), is being urged to bring supporting evidence of ethnic discrimination to the coalition government or take the matter to the courts. Throwing down the gauntlet was President David Granger, who, during the broadcast of his weekly televised programme, “The Public Interest”, lamented the dangers of such claims in a multi-ethnic society such as Guyana’s. “If the Leader of the Opposition has evidence that there has been wrongdoing in accordance with the laws of Guyana and the Constitution, he can bring that to us or he can move to the courts,” the President said. However, the PPP is yet to provide a list of persons they believe have been discriminated against by the APNU+AFC government on the basis of their ethnicity. On Wednesday, the

party’s General-Secretary, Clement Rohee was asked a second time whether he had such a list at hand, but, as happened last week, he did not. On the other hand, political activist Freddie Kissoon has been providing a list of persons in his Kaieteur News column who he believes the PPP witch-hunted during its term in executive office.

on supporters of the PPP. What we thought would never return to Guyana, in just one short year has returned with full force,

URGES RESTRAINT

THE QUEENS SAGA Just over a week ago, Jagdeo, while speaking at a social event in Queens, New York, said Guyana’s political, economic and social conditions were worse than in the 1970s and 1980s under the then People’s National Congress (PNC) government. The Opposition Leader went on to suggest that there is discrimination on the basis of ethnicity being perpetrated by the coalition Government, on people of Indian descent. “There is an assault on our democracy. There is an assault on people of Indian origin. There is an assault

Apology THE Guyana Chronicle wishes to apologise for an erroneous headline which appeared in the Thursday, August 4, 2016 edition of the newspaper to the effect that: “Gov’t considering work permits for Int’l students.” That headline should have read: “Gov’t could consider work permits for int’l students.” We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

similar nature. As the president went on to explain, there are extremists who will continue to speak in divisive terms, which underscores the need for the government to put an end to it.

President David Granger and even worse in some regards than the Burnham era,” he reportedly told the predominantly Indo-Guyanese gathering. But according to President Granger, these c o m m e n t s a re b e i n g made by an individual who is currently before the courts for using language which has been described as divisive and racist. Jagdeo also appeared before the courts twice for matters of a

In the circumstances, he sought to urge Jagdeo to restrain his comments, since it has the potential to contribute to religious and ethnic extremism. “Right now, we are a multi-religious country, and we don’t want religious extremism here. We can see in other parts of the world the damage that religious extremism can do. “Similarly, we don’t want ethnic extremism, because it will pull our country apart. We want a more cohesive society,” the president said, adding that he does not believe the comments attributed to Jagdeo are helpful in building a more cohesive society. He also sought to register his support of com-

ments made by political commentator, Ralph Ramkarran, who said that Jagdeo’s comments are divisive. A former long-standing member of the PPP, Ramkarran also suggested that the opposition leader’s comments in New York revealed the new agenda of the PPP, which is: To represent their ethnic interests exclusively. NEW AGENDA “This is a wholly new dimension to the PPP’s agenda; namely, its formal and official transformation by Mr Jagdeo into an ethnic party representing exclusively ethnic interests,” Ramkarran said. The president also said that to suggest that Indo-Guyanese are being persecuted does not necessarily call on the government to reach out to indo-communities specifically, since it has been reaching out to all commu-

nities across Guyana. “We have reached out to all sections of the population,” President Granger said, “and we want to reduce inequality and give all our schoolchildren the opportunity to get the best education they can get, so they can understand how other races live and behave.” He posited that it is very important that the government reduces inequality, and that measures are being taken by the Ministry of Social Cohesion to reduce levels of inequality. “We in the coalition believe that a more equal society would be a more cohesive society,” he said, adding: “Inequality is the foundation for divisiveness and ethnic conflicts. And I think we’ve made a tremendous amount of progress in creating better understanding and creating the foundation for a more cohesive society.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

Digital era confronts Parliamentary Standing Orders … As Opposition challenges use of information technology to circulate documents

By Derwayne Wills

AN attempt by Attorney-General(AG) Basil Williams to present the Cybercrime Bill yesterday in the National Assembly was disrupted by a verbal exchange. That exchange saw Members of Parliament of the opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) questioning whether Parliament’s Standing Orders should be amended

to reflect the information technology era. The ruckus started when the AG, while reading the Cybercrime Bill for the first time in the House, called for the legislation to be moved to a Parliamentary Select Committee. Interrupting the AG, Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, said that while she supports moving the Bill to the Select Committee for greater scrutiny, it was yet to be distributed

to the PPP/C MPs for their perusal. House Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland, considered Teixeira’s concern as the government side looked on intently. After some five minutes of deliberation with Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, the Speaker returned to say that he’d been notified that the Bill was circulated electronically, and that he did not see the government as violating parliamentary procedure. ‘UNACCEPTABLE!’ Teixeira disagreed with the Speaker’s position, saying that the government did not take into account whether or not her party’s members were all connected to information technology. She even went as far as to say that the government’s move to forward the Bill

in electronic medium after 14:00hrs on the same day was “Unacceptable!” She cited this as an attempt to undermine the Standing Orders, which dictate how the National Assembly conducts its business. “Let’s create new Standing Orders to say that electronic sharing can go on,” she suggested. Teixeira bemoaned that even as she tried to open the Bill in its electronic form, “I cannot open it on my phone.” At this, Public Information Minister, Cathy Hughes blurted out, “You should get another phone!” This, of course, caused the House to erupt in laughter. Outraged by the comments, Teixeira shot back, “Parliament doesn’t give me a phone! So don’t take your eyes and pass me!” Noting that the matter of sharing parliamentary

documents electronically had been unsuccessfully raised before by the late Alliance For Change (AFC) MP, Sheila Holder, Teixeira asked that that rationale be again applied. She was, however, reprimanded by the Speaker for invoking the name of a now-deceased former member of the National Assembly. Satisfied, however, that the matter of the sharing of the Cybercrime Bill electronically had been resolved, he allowed the Attorney-General to continue with the first reading of the Bill.

CYBERCRIME BILL The Cybercrime Bill, the content of which is ironic, considering yesterday’s exchange, seeks to bring Guyana’s criminal laws in line with the information technology era.

The Bill seeks to empower Guyana’s law enforcement with the power to investigate, prosecute, and provide penalties done on the Internet, otherwise referred to as “Cyberspace”. It also includes, inter alia, provisions for identity-related offences; child pornography and luring; and the sharing of images of nude persons, using cyberspace to harass or intimidate. The Bill will be moved to a Parliamentary Select Committee, where its content will be deliberated on by both sides of the House and then brought back to the National Assembly for a second and third reading, before it is finally approved. The Bill becomes an Act of Parliament or an official law after it is assented to by President David Granger.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

‘Beenie Man’ the first ‘celeb’ to contract Zika Virus JAMAICAN music sensation, ‘Beenie Man’ is the first celebrity to be diagnosed with the Zika Virus. The dancehall deejay had to cancel his appearance at Drakes OVO Fest in Canada after being denied a visa due to his illness. ‘Beenie Man’ posted a photo of him Sunday lying in bed while having blood drawn to his Instagram with the following caption in Jamaican Patois. “Jah know…dah week ya deal wid me a way!! No visa fi mi Canada show (I apologize again to my fans in case you haven’t seen the press release). “Zika Virus hol’ mi. The same Zika mosquito gi mi dengue. Blood test, injections, pills. Wi a hol firm still. Selassie a guide I n I right through so once mi have life me a give thanks.” The much loved artist revealed that he contracted not only the Zika Virus, but Dengue Fever as well when he was bitten by a mosquito. “He started feeling ill

from Thursday, and went to the hospital on Friday, where he was diagnosed with Zika. And those mosquitoes also gave him Dengue. Thats what his doctors are saying,” a spokesperson for the artist told reporters. ‘Beenie Man’ was hospitalised, given medication and released. He is presently at home, recovering and taking his medicine. The OVO Fest in Toronto, Canada ended August 1, and featured performances from Rihanna, Future, Sean Paul, and, of course, Drake. Ticketmaster released a statement to fans after ‘Beenie Man’ cancelled saying, “Due to immigration issues, ‘Beenie Man’ will no longer be able to perform as part of OVO Fest 2016 on Saturday, July 30 at TD Echo Beach

in Toronto. “In his place, we have booked a slew of surprise special guests, and of course Machel Montano will still headline as planned, with special guests of his own.” Two months ago, there were 1387 suspected and 16

confirmed Zika Virus cases in Jamaica, according to Outbreak News Today. Zika is spreading in the United States. In Florida, 14 cases of the Zika Virus have been confirmed. The CDC issued a travel warning Tuesday for pregnant women to the area where the contaminated people have been found. Most of those who contract Zika don’t display any symptoms; those who do generally suffer from fever, rash, muscle and joint pains and headaches. The symptoms may last two to seven days. The Zika Virus is especially dangerous to pregnant women, and is suspected to cause birth defects. (urbantwist.com)

Former Miss Jamaica Universe dies at 30

Former Miss Jamaica Universe, Shakira Martin

FORMER Miss Jamaica Universe, Shakira Martin has died following a long battle with sickle cell. Sources confirmed that the beauty queen passed away on Wednesday morning at a hospital in South Florida. Shakira was aged 30 at the time of her death. Her mother confirmed her death on Facebook, saying, “My darling princess Shakira Aminah passed away at 12:28am from complications from sickle cell blood clots to both lungs.” “Shakira was a fighter, lived her life in the moment, never became a slave to her disease,” she added. “I will keep you posted with all the arrangements, which will be both in Florida and Jamaica, her favourite place in the whole world. Thanks for your support, prayers, phone calls, texts.”

Shakira Martin was crowned Miss Jamaica Universe in 2011, where she spoke candidly about her fight with the deadly disease. She was reportedly on life support a few hours before her death, as family and friends bade their final goodbyes. “Life was challenging; there were restrictions as far as things that I was able to do, like swimming in the pool for long periods of time or going to the beach,” she said during a 2011 interview with the Observer. “I could always go to the beach,” she said, “but I couldn’t stay in the water all day because I didn’t want to get myself in crisis.” She also used the Miss Jamaica Universe platform to help bring more awareness about sickle cell. (urbanislandz.com)

Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams Editor

Godfrey Wray

Editorial: 227-5216; 227-5204 guyanachronicle.com wnigel10@hotmail.com gnnleditorial@gmail.com

Editorial The emancipation struggle THE history of this society where multiracial groups settled is one that saw engagements of relationship built on systems of inequality. Those who ascribed to themselves the notion of superiority set out and ensured systems, including actions, were put in place to keep the designated inferior in “their place.” Man in his infinite wisdom will fight against any form of oppression, marginalisation and domination, even as some among him would apply the lowest of instinct to deny, dominate and oppress. Such has been the relations of man overtime, resulting in conflicts that have been marked with successes in toppling systems of injustices, replacing and fortifying them with systems built on justice, equality and fair play. Guyanese joined with their fellowmen of Britain and the British Commonwealth celebrating this day, when chattel slavery through proclamation was ended. This meant that Africans where once enslaved were now legally free from the yoke of domination/bondage and being treated and seen no longer as sub-human, inferior. In a relationship of such nature, in addition to having some impact on economic relations and the sourcing of labour, would have also impacted co-existence among major forces where one was conditioned for centuries to think it had to look down on the other, and the other look up to it. The progress towards equalising relationships in the socio-economic and political spheres between these two groups (Europeans and Africans) was not without several hiccups, conflicts and flare-ups. And it should be said such is not uncharacteristic in human relations, where competing interest and demand for equity are considered premium. Where the society has seen the grit and determination of Africans in establishing life after slavery, creating what is known as the Village Movement, which had within a system of self-government, guided by rules, that members of the community were required to adhere, ensured order, equality, and deliberateness in the approach to their development. Conversely, their European counterparts, in the government, plantations/estates, merchant-class and other areas in the socio-economic and political spheres, had to accept that Africans were equally deserving and must be allowed to participate in development of the wider society. There can no pretence that the forging of the new relationship would have been seamless, of which there are several documentations, through the lens of various participants and analysts of the era, that are easily accessible and can verify the claim being made here. Our focus today is to seek to impress upon the society, as we observe emancipation and recall the struggle which preceded and succeeded this landmark, is that the society, having reached this far, such progress was made not only possible from these experiences, but the institutions/systems put in place to protect and advance the gains. With emancipation that came via proclamation it meant non-acceptance of the practice of this abominable system and everything that flows therefrom must come to an end. At a human-relations level, it requires the treating of each other as human beings. As such, the inalienable right to be

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

Speedy and fair disciplinary action Dear Editor, I SHOULD be grateful for the publication of this letter dealing with the issue of disciplinary matters falling under the purview of the Public Service Commission. The current disciplinary process and procedures should be revisited with the view to provide for speedier due process and natural justice for Public Servants as outlined hereunder. Disciplinary action relates to an employee’s capacity or conduct which may breach the obligations in the employment relationship - to render faithful and honest service. Disciplinary matters should be promptly addressed by management in the public service, and should be separate and apart from any criminal investigation and consequent action therefrom. The Public Service Management and Administration – the Department of Public Service, the Public Service Commission, and the Public Service Appellate Tribunal - should be concerned with the conduct of the employee in the employment relationship, and act independently, and not rely on the outcome of any court case. The following process and procedures are proffered for consideration and debate. Where it appears to senior staff – Heads of Departments and Permanent Secretaries, that there is reasonable cause to believe that a staff member

may have committed a gross misconduct, dereliction of duty, or is unable to perform the functions of his/her position as might warrant disciplinary action: a) The concerned Head of Department and Permanent Secretary, on their own initiative or upon receipt of a complaint from any source, in consultation with the Head of Personnel of the Department of the Public Service, shall conduct a full investigation and hearing into the alleged misconduct or inability to function by a Committee comprising the relevant Head of Department, Head of the Ministry’s Personnel Department, and the Permanent Secretary of the relevant ministry, within fourteen(14) working days of the receipt of the complaint or from the date of initiation of disciplinary action; b) During the investigation and hearing, if it is considered expedient, the concerned staff should be suspended from duty on half pay during the 14 working days under a) above, and should be paid the amount withheld, only if exonerated; c) The staff person to whom the investigation relates should be free to represent himself/herself and to be allowed representation by any person at the investigation and hearing;

recommend to the Permanent Secretary of the Department of the Public Service, such disciplinary action as may be appropriate by the end of the 14 working days referred to a) above; e) The Permanent Secretary on the Department of the Public Service shall, within 14 working days, consider the matter and make the appropriate recommendations to the Public Service Commission (PSC). The Public Service Commission should consider the recommendations of the Permanent Secretary of the Department of the Public Service, and shall institute appropriate disciplinary action, including suspension without pay for up to two months, or immediate dismissal for good and sufficient cause, or termination of the employment contract; and f) The affected staff may appeal any decision of the Public Service Commission to the Public Service Appellate Tribunal, which shall review the decision of the Public Service Commission in keeping with the principles of fairness and natural justice. The Tribunal should consider and render its decision within 28 working days from the date of appeal.

d) The Committee at a) above shall

Yours faithfully, Samuel J. Goolsarran

The Amerindian Act will not work in its current form to protect Amerindian communities from large-scale mining Dear Editor, I AM not convinced that the Parliamentary Natural Resources Committee and the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs will be able to work together for the betterment of Indigenous communities if they can’t find common ground to facilitate revision of the Amerindian Act. The subject of mining has always been a matter of serious concern for Indig-

enous communities. It has been raised many times by representatives of various communities of the Middle Mazaruni, Upper Mazaruni and the North-West among many others. In fact, most of these meetings were tightly controlled by the former Ministry of Amerindian Affairs who promoted their party political agenda and sidelined many vocal village leaders for those who offered praises and political support for the

treated as equal, with dignity and respect, where such was denied, in whatever form, those who fought to ensure its respect were doing so with the protection of the law that they are no longer enslaved or sub-human. This fight to protect and deepen what emancipation sought to achieve continues onto today. Tracing the evolution of this nation, it will be seen that groups fought against other systems of oppression as in indentureship and colonisation. Where the African community is credited with establishing a system of local government in the villages, this later guided local government authorities nationally, and aided in influencing the fight for internal self-government. Emancipation means different things to different people. In our society where the concept is associated with the freedom of a people, who for centuries fought against their enslavement, this freedom continues to be defined and

former administration. The current executive body of the National Toshaos Council must not continue to allow political interference. Put that aside, the NTC must be a strong and independent organisation. Editor, where mining is concerned, Indigenous communities like Isseneru, Kako, Micobie, Chinese Landing, Arau and many others have the experience of how adverse the Amerindian Act can be when it comes to mining

and Indigenous land rights. Politicians are influential people who resort to political games to make the revision of the Amerindian Act look like it was only being done for a handful of villages. This is not true, many communities have been demanding revision of the Act. However, village leaders, Indigenous Rights Advocates and organizations must take a stand to represent and show the realities of situations in

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refined based on the evolution takiing place in society that all are equal and should be treated with dignity and respect. Ensuring the realisation of freedom of the institutions of State, given that the State is responsible for the sovereignty and protection of the people, must ensure through laws and practices that freedoms of man, which today are guided by universal declarations, charters and conventions are not only ratified, but implemented through laws, policies, programmes and practices. The achievement of emancipation 178 years ago is not an end to itself, but the catalyst of a process to bring about freedoms in every form. And until every man, woman and child can have the protection, surety and enjoyment of his or her inalienable right, the principle that informed the struggle saw this major achievement in 1838 is still relevant and applicable today.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

Millions of $$$ in... businesses on the ground floor quickly mobilized employees to evacuate what they were able to, and place them on the roadway. Thanks to the police, they were quickly able to set up barriers, evacuate the crowd at the bus park which is just across the road from the burning building and cordon off the area to allow the firemen to do their work. Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor of Georgetown, Sherod Duncan, looking despondently at the burning building and the devastation, said his heart goes out to the dozens of people now on the breadline and having to face the days ahead with no jobs. This newspaper asked about his take on the removal of the South Ruimveldt, Lamaha Park and Lodge buses from outside the Stabroek Market, and relocating them just outside where the fire took place. He replied that it was to facilitate cleaning of the Stabroek Square. He however admitted that their proximity to the commercial building was of concern to him, and in the circumstances would have to be looked at. “But my immediate con-

dispatched three appliances to the scene. The challenge faced is that water from the first three fire tenders was quickly used up, forcing them to utilize the ‘open water’ source - the Avenue of the Republic canal, he said. Initially they were faced with heavy congestion of the fire scene which is opposite a bus park, catering for buses from three destinations and naturally always attracting a crowd. “The area was found to be very congested and so we had to rely on the police traffic department to assist us to get the vehicles out of the way and then to control the Some items which one of the businessmen managed to save

cern is the losses to the business owners and to the number of persons who will be out of work here, because this building houses a number of smaller businesses and those persons are going to be put on the breadline as of tomorrow [Friday] … my thoughts are with them.” The Deputy Mayor also thanked the police for a great job at clearing the area, setting up cordons and maintaining law and order throughout the

ordeal. He also congratulated the fire service for doing what he termed a "tremendous" job in trying to contain this fire to the one building, noting that there are adjoining buildings which also faced destruction. Assistant Commissioner Clifton Hickens of the Guyana Police Force said the police received a call from the Fire Department at 11:38hrs and immediately raced to the scene where they cleared

the area of vehicles and the crowd. “Our duty was to cordon off the area for the fire tenders to manoeuvre … There is adequate space and five fire tenders are working in tandem with the Guyana Fire Service and they have managed to do a good job based on my assessment,” the Assistant Commissioner said. And Fire Officer Mc Gregor said the fire department received the call around 11:34hrs. They immediately

The Amerindian Act will not... Amerindian communities. Editor, I disagree with these politicians when they based the question-and-answer segment of large-scale mining on villages that support their respective political parties to justify that there is no present form of largescale mining on Amerindian Lands. The truth is not being told. The Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs is well aware that the GGMC had granted prospecting licences to a company to do uranium drilling in the Mazaruni area, including on Amerindian lands. If mining is to commence to extract the uranium, specialised equipment is to be used, is that not termed largescale mining? Yes it will be. Will the Amerindian Act have the power to protect if the government gives the mining rights to the conglomerate? The answer is NO. There will be no exception of Amerindian communities under the current Amerindian Act to safeguard themselves from large-scale mining. However, more details have to be provided by the Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs to persuade the opposition that it will be in

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the Amerindians’ best interest, or else the opposition will always have an excuse to play political games. Editor, if these two politicians had taken time to visit the Middle Mazaruni, they would have realised that the issue of large-scale mining may not be in Regions One and Nine and the foreign countries where they fre-

quently visit, but in an area which do not support government policies that work against them. As Indigenous peoples, we look forward to the betterment of our communities. Political, racial and economic barriers are being broken and should remain in the past where Guyanese politicians hope

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to keep us divided based on ethnicity. Yours Truly, Dwight Larson Isseneru Village

crowd,” the fire officer said. GRILLE WORK But of acute concern to the fire department, he noted, was the time taken to get into the burning building because of the heavy security grill work, Mc Gregor said. “We took approximately 55 minutes to cut open the southern door on the stairway to get into the second floor and that is testimony to the fact that businesses are more concerned with security than safety,” the fire officer lamented. This matter needs to be addressed, he opined.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

Gov’t supports the decriminalisation of suicide - but objects to motion for being ‘too politicised’ By Derwayne Wills WHAT started as a parliamentary motion expressing concern for Guyana’s alarming suicide rate, quickly descended into a politicised debate marked by blame-throwing. This was the observation made by parliamentarians from both sides of the National Assembly yesterday, in the face of a motion raised by opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Parliamentarian, Dr Vindhya Persaud. While both sides agreed that suicide should not be given a political face, representatives of both sides managed to do just that. Persaud’s presentation, while introducing her motion, infuriated government MPs when she descended into rhetoric on the current parking-meter controversy, as well as the national state of rice and sugar being linked to suicides, which sparked derisive laughter from the government side. Persaud’s motion cited some 1500 to 2000 suicides each year in Guyana, and called for the government to implement the 2014 Mental Health Strategic Plan, and the 2015-2020 National Suicide Prevention Plan, both crafted by the former PPP administration. WELL PADDED The speakers' list for this motion was well padded, with a total of eight or so presenters from both sides of the House. Persaud called for the decriminalisation of suicide in Guyana, a position that resonated with both Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, and Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Karen Cummings. Persaud said suicide should be labelled a national priority, with adequate resources and physical infrastructure designated for fighting the scourge that continues to plague the nation. She noted the need for increased training of health workers, both in the public and private sector to “recognise, diagnose, and refer” persons affected by mental health problems. Further pleas were made for poison-management centres, as a World Health Organisation (WHO) report did make reference to easy access to poisonous, farm-related products as

leading to the high suicide rate. Persaud, a representative of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, has long maintained her stance that alcohol has a “disruptive impact on families and wider society.” ‘COPYCAT SUICIDES’ She also called for the media to play a more meaningful role in reducing ‘copycat suicides’ which happen as a result of suicides being detailed in the media, allowing for other persons to adopt similar methodologies. Dr Persaud’s speech came before a one-hour recess in the National Assembly at 16:00hrs. When the recess concluded, Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence was the first to call the PPP MP out for her reference to parking meters. At the time of Lawrence’s speech, Persaud had not yet returned from recess, which prompted Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman to rise on the point that the mover of the suicide motion was not present while counter-arguments were being made. At this, Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, exited the Parliament Chamber briefly, only to return with Dr Persaud in tow. Lawrence challenged Persaud’s claim that the David Granger administration had not been doing enough on the suicide issue. She called for Persaud to produce evidence indicating that suicides were linked to a number of persons being fired from the public sector within the last nine months. Lawrence went as far as to cite the work of the Men Affairs Bureau under her ministry, which focuses on the likelihood of men committing suicide, since, according to her, these are higher than suicides among women. COUNTER-CLAIM As a counter to Persaud’s claim on unemployment, Lawrence cited the review of the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) programme, for which the age of entry for skills training

was increased to 30 years, as “providing training in areas for these people to be readily employed.” Lawrence said, too, that night shelters were given increased maintenance, so that vulnerable persons could have a space in their time of need. “Government is taking action,” Lawrence declared, as she called for an ongoing process on suicide, which sees collaboration across society. The Social Protection Minister ended by saying she cannot support the Bill in its current form, a position shared by Public Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, who was the government’s final speaker on Persaud’s motion. Also opposing the motion in its current form were Ministers within the Ministries of Health, and Education, Dr Karen Cummings, and Nicolette Henry, respectively. Ramjattan accused the PPP of attempting to “steal the work of the [coalition] government.” This position was bolstered by the minister’s previous heckling that in 23 years, the strategies now being proposed by the PPP, which was ousted from power in 2015, seemed to have not been implemented. The Public Security Minister said Persaud’s motion sought to “make the issue a political football.” “We started from nothing; we have moved to something. And that something is now being criticised by those who left us with nothing,” Ramjattan said in defence of what he saw as the government’s proactive policy. His statement was met with rousing laughter from the government side. “I do not support some aspects of the motion, especially as it relates to the statistics, but the decriminalization [of suicide], I support that,” Ramjattan said, ending his presentation with a call for greater collaboration to “break this scourge that is plaguing our society.” Persaud, who was expected to close off the debate on her motion, defended her work, saying that the intention was not to create a political issue out of suicide, but instead to ask for priority to be given to areas more affected by suicide, among them Regions Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), and Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). Government’s final vote saw Persaud’s motion being struck down for politicisation.

Rohee rocks the boat - confirms PPP corrupt perception; declares ‘perception is reality’

By Ravin Singh GENERAL-Secretary of the Opposition People's Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee, has agreed with many that there is a perception abroad that his party, while in government, was corrupt, even as he contends that “perception is a reality.” Rohee’s remarks were made on Tuesday during the PPP’s weekly press conference, which was held at the party’s Freedom House Headquarters. Speaking about perceptions currently enveloping the political atmosphere in Guyana, Rohee said the subject is of importance to any society. “Perception is important

in any society. As they say, perception is reality, and I’d like to emphasise that. And we can’t view that selectively; it is a general, universally accepted social and psychological phenomenon, that perception is reality,” he said. But with the PPP having been accused on countless occasions in the past of being corrupt, Rohee was asked if this perception, too, was a reality. He responded by stating that it was not for him to say whether the notion was true or false. “It is not for me to say that. Why should I say that? That is a general perception out there,” he said. The PPP stalwart also took jabs at several media

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee houses, including the Guyana Chronicle, stating that they are helping to feed that perception about the PPP being

corrupt. Said he: “They are helping to reinforce that perception; when we were in government and now that we are in the Opposition. And now the government is being driven by media houses to deal with that matter by setting up SARU [State Asset Recovery Unit]. So let’s take it from there.” Asked again, more specifically, if he believes the notion that the PPP is corrupt was indeed a reality, as he had earlier articulated, Rohee replied: “Don’t worry with what I believe; my belief is my belief.” CORRUPTION INDEX In 2013 and 2014 the then PPP government refused to

accept international corruption watchdog, Transparency International’s corruption perception index. The 2014 results revealed that Guyana remains behind its Caribbean Community (CARICOM) counterparts, ranking 124th out of 175 countries. The only CARICOM nation that was ranked below Guyana was Haiti, which placed at 161. However, according to former President Donald Ramotar in a letter published in the Guyana Times on April 5, 2016: “While there is no denying that corruption existed during the PPP/C administration, it has been highly exaggerated.” He went on to state that

the fact remains that “the [APNU+AFC] regime has failed to identify any major corrupt practice/s that they previously expounded so much about, while the forensic audits have failed to reveal corrupt practices/ transactions.” FORENSIC AUDITS Upon securing victory at the May 11 polls last year, one of the first moves of the new government was to embark on forensic audits into State agencies to find out whether acts of corruption had been perpetrated at those entities. But several of the audits have shown irregularities Please turn to page 17

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

Bridging the chasm of racism - as against knowing one’s heritage

WAS not surprised at former President Bharat Jagdeo’s resort to the abyss of racism in the face of obvious criminal actions to be brought against persons within the past PPP regime for immense corruption. He is not speaking to rational Guyana, but to special provincial sections of his constituency, to which racial definitions have dominated their world view for a timeline of some 3000-odd years. And unless the touted cohesion confronts this cultural neurosis in a realistic way, the Jagdeos of this world will use this withered shield whenever they feel the shadow of justice deepening over their special interests. It was obvious, from utterances spewed out before, that anything should be expected of Jagdeo; what he lacks in positive vision, he excels at in macabre machinations and intent. Bharrat Jagdeo provides for us a tragic but useful case study, in the same way Donald Trump is testing the character of Americans today in the shadow and veiled rhetoric of dictators of the 1930s. No doubt the mimic man Jagdeo is, he has opted to replicate Trump, as his fears of SOCU multiply. The chasm of racism can only be bridged through ‘edutainment’, supported by hard scholarship in our libraries. BIGOTRY All peoples have confronted bigotry; bigotry has always been the weapon used to camouflage breaking the commandment, "Thou shall not steal thy neighbour’s goods." In each geographic theatre across the human world, this bigotry of which I speak takes different shapes; in Africa, where vast land spaces permit migration without severe genocide of entire peoples, there are tribal wars and ancestral hatreds. The same can be said of everywhere where peoples replace other peoples whose lands they want to occupy, in the name of their own survival; whether they use the prophets urging them forward to institute genocide in the name of their

God, against the others’ religion or the variation of their skin colour, the same human phenomenon persists. DELUSION In Guyana, we continue to delude ourselves into thinking that the ideals of patriotism and national consciousness are the same with all citizens. The human culture can only be viewed in the context of its actions, and not necessarily, as in our case, by the memorised pleasing recitations spouted from a podium before a willing-to-believe audience already entrapped within the arcane cult. A government that gives out 82% of its forest reserves to external interests while that government lacks the capacity to monitor what they do, and makes no effort to establish its own timber-related industry, demonstrates the absence of the collective national interest in its philosophy, whatever its philosophy amounts to. That a similar language, a call to racist fever, is consistent from 1961 to 2016 should not be ignored; nor should optimisms be wasted on what should be disposed of through constant confrontation, culturally, and a rise in the knowledge reference-pool of all Guyanese. Cohesion cannot be superficial; there will be those who will choose to be left behind. In their respect, there are a wide variety of precedents in other cultures that we can learn from: in America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, where collective, provincial cultures hold on to negative, hateful dogmas while the world around them evolves. HISTORICAL DRAMA We must develop a historical drama [theatre and film], on the foundation of records that exist, that capture the mood, values and unbelievable contradictions, demonstrating the uncelebrated humanity that persisted in the chaos of the pre-independence era, with its concluding scene that captures a dramatic debate on what should not have been done.

The set of this scene would suggest a location in the after-world. There may be immediate fear at such a project, for politicians are gripped by the tentacles from a weird reality, as in if it isn’t addressed, then it will go away. It will not! It will be shamelessly refashioned, yes! Even as a younger generation shrugs it off, it will still haunt them! Remember that short film that was produced by a relative of the late Janet (Jagan) Rosenberg in the early 90s? Well, that same lady penned a distorted, illustrated booklet on the pre-independence struggle. Both projects demonised Burnham and Afro-Guyanese. To combat hate, do not depend on conscience, shame, and patriotism. Only the laws of the land, and the recorded truth that can stand its ground, will prevail as a functional reference against this repetitive backwardness. CHOSEN PEOPLES Human history and religion have their its St Vitus’ Dance of chosen peoples: Master races, God-men, castes, and above-the-law nobilities; so-called People’s Saviour movements like the Khmer Rouge; and the record of the misery they have caused is open to us. These all emerged as justification to steal from each other, and to usurp what we admired and condemned at the same time, to conceal our own crimes, falsifications to let our victims justify why we coveted their goods and lives. The positive responsibility rests with addressing the livelihoods of all, including the believers, as best as can be; this must be coupled by a fair distribution of liberating awareness. In the end, merit must be attributed where it is deserved; the law must prevail, regardless of the cries of unfairness shouted by the true criminal; that clique of shepherds that traded with the wolf within and betrayed the flock. Their cries must, however, be demanded by the law to justify its venom, and be silenced in the arena of public opinion.

GPL blames July shutdown on ‘faulty submarine cable’ THE electricity shutdown which was experienced in the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System on July 12, 2016, was due to a fault on the actual submarine cable, the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) has said. On July 13, GPL had attributed the shutdown to faulty insulation at the connection, or ‘Pot Head’ linking the 69KV submarine cable to the overhead transmission lines at Kingston. This was based on preliminary distance readings obtained from the protective devices at its substations at Kingston and Vreed-en-Hoop, GPL said in a release. However, the company stated on Thursday that a comprehensive examination has revealed that the fault was on the actual submarine cable. This, GPL said, was confirmed through utilization of a diver who established that the cable’s protective layer had been damaged in an area approximately 51 metres from the Kingston shore. Further, the company said that maintenance dredging of the area in proximity to the Kingston wharf commenced on Saturday, July 9th, and may have caused damage to its cable at some point during this exercise. “The subsequent breakdown in the insulation resulted in the fault and shutdown of July 12th , GPL said. As such, it was noted that arrangements are currently being made to have the damaged section of the cable brought to the surface to establish the extent of the damage and effect remedial work. “Every effort is being made to have the link re-established and the situation returned to normalcy as quickly as possible,” the company said, adding that it remains committed to serving the people of Guyana.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

‘Rubber Waist’ remembers orphanage children By Michel Outridge LOCAL entertainer, Jumo Primo, bettern known as "Rubber Waist," has, over time, been giving back to society by hosting fetes and making donations of groceries and cleaning supplies to children housed in orphanages. In observance of his birthday which was celebrated Saturday last, the soca sensation said that in is his way of contributing to the less fortunate, he chose to give back to children, especially the ones who live in orphanages. Primo said further that he wants to enhance the lives of children, so he ensures that a scrumptious meal, goodies and other things are set aside for them. Moreover, he donated a quantity of groceries and toiletries to the Administrator of Joshua House Children’s Centre, Thomas Street. The gift was accepted by Gladys Accra on behalf of Joshua House Children’s Centre and while thanking Primo, she noted that the donation will be used to cater for the needs of the 50 children housed there. Children between the ages of six to 17 years old are resident there and while some are orphans, others with parents were placed there through the Child Care and Protection Agency.

Joshua House has separate dormitories for boys and girls, a kitchen area, play section and a sitting area equipped with a television set. Accra said the orphanage is funded through donations by citizens like Jumo Primo and others. It has four paid full-time staffers and 10 volunteers. All children housed there attend school and they get a subvention of $100,000 per year from the government. Primo said that on Wednesday he made a similar donation to the children of the Guyana Red Cross Convalescent Home at Durban Backlands. In addition, the children were treated to goodies and snacks of fruit. Primo also performed for the students of Carmel Secondary School in support of Malcolm Ferreira’s August holidays programme for schoolchildren. He also held a birthday party titled ‘Short Pants Edition’ at Palm Court on July 30, 2016 to mark the occasion. The artiste expressed the need to do more for children and has pledged his continued support through donations to children’s homes. He stated that he was fortunate to be taken care of as a child and is also blessed that he is from a large family of 10 siblings.

Wanted man shot by police A MAN who was wanted by the police was shot during a confrontation with ranks on Thursday in Sophia. He has been identified as Andrew Smith of ‘C’ Field Sophia. This newspaper understands that Smith was wanted by the police for questioning in relation to a series of armed robberies within Sophia. Police sources disclosed that Smith, a known character, was picked up several times for questioning into many armed robberies in that area but he was released after many of the victims refused to give evidence. This newspaper learnt that the victims were reportedly threatened by Smith and did not want to be harmed, thus their refusal to cooperate with the police. According to a release, at about 11:15hrs on Thursday, a party of policemen acted on information that Smith was spotted at Access Road, ‘C’ Field, Sophia and went to the location. As ranks were nearing the location, the suspect whipped out a handgun and discharged several rounds in their direction. The release noted that the cops returned fire, hitting Smith in the upper left arm and left rib region of his body. He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and was undergoing surgery up to press time. A snub-nosed .38 revolver, four (4) live rounds and two spent shells were recovered by the police. Smith is under police guard at the GPHC.

Primo yesterday with children of the Joshua House Children’s Centre and its Administrator, Gladys Accra

Primo with the children of the Guyana Red Cross Convalescent Home on Wednesday

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

Gov’t says parking meter contract not illegal - recommends accountant review proposed rates By Alva Solomon WHILE finding nothing illegal with the contentious parking meter contract, the government of Guyana has recommended that City Hall engage an accountant regarding the proposed rates and fees stipulated in the contract. The contract, which the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) administration signed with National Parking systems (NPS) in May, is seen as heavily in favour of the concessionaire, according to the government. The APNU+AFC government had mandated the Ministries of Legal Affairs and Finance to review the contract after it was shrouded in much controversy and secrecy. The government had warned that if there is any illegality arising from re-

view of the contract, then the city’s administration would become subject to action by the State’s authorities. The contract had been kept under lock and key by City Hall for fear of it being copied. On Thursday, Cabinet Secretary Joseph Harmon told a post-cabinet media briefing that two reports were submitted to Cabinet for perusal. One was submitted by the Ministry of Finance and another by the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams. Harmon informed the media that “there was nothing illegal about the contract.” However, he said that a review of the documents indicated that its terms and conditions were burdensome and favoured NPS. He said the Attorney General has recommend-

ed that an accountant be engaged by the council to review the contract’s rates and fees and to offer advice. He said that Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, was informed of the recommendations and according to him, Bulkan stated that he has written to the city council on the matter in that regard. Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase-Green has said that the project will commence on September 1. The contract’s details had been kept in the dark from members of the council. Town Clerk Royston King, accompanied the mayor and two other councillors, Junior Garrett and Oscar Clarke, to Mexico City, Mexico and then to Panama, where the Georgetown delegation met with officials from those countries

Mayor Patricia Chase-Green inspecting a parking meter in Mexico unbeknownst to the rest of Georgetown’s elected representatives. The team then made their way to Panama for a similar meeting with Panamanian officials on the parking meters. Revelations of the logistics were made to the council only while en route

East La Penitence Primary to house ‘Brickdam’ students STUDENTS of the Brickdam Secondary School will be shifted to the East La Penitence Primary School when the new school term commences on September 5, 2016. This was confirmed by the Ministry of Education’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Suelle Findlay-Williams, during a telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle. The shift, she said, will see the students of East La Penitence Primary being temporarily housed at the St Pius Primary School. According to reports, the shift was sparked following the complaints of staff and parents of Brickdam Secondary, about the facility being in a deplorable state. However, the shift is only temporary, given that at a recent press conference Chief Education Officer Olato Sam had said that the ministry was looking for land to build a school that will accommodate students from both Brickdam Secondary and Central High School. “The aim is to move the

staff and students of both schools out of their current environments,” said Sam, as he indicated that the ministry’s aim is to have the students of both schools housed in one building. During Sam’s press conference, he said that the major problem which the ministry faces is finding land in the

Georgetown area on which to build the new institution. This was also confirmed by the PRO yesterday. The Brickdam students were forced to finish the last school term under deplorable conditions at the school while the ministry’s building engineers made structural repairs. Sam had described this as a

“stop-gap measure,” since no permanent solution could have been found at the time. Moreover, in 2013 staff had met Sam and highlighted their plight and in the following year the Guyana Teachers’ Union held a special press conference highlighting the problems at the school.

to Panama. Immediately following President David Granger’s visit to City Hall on June 27, the city administration rolled out a model of the proposed parking meter for display in City Hall’s compound. Reports from the project-implementation team,

NPS, said the city administration can expect a sizeable increase in their gross income from the project. The project is expected to generate between $100200M in the first year of implementation. NPS is slated to administer the project for the next 49 years.

Secondary school slated for Waramuri A $15.2M secondary school is on the cards for the Region One village of Waramuri at Moruca. This announcement was made by Cabinet Secretary Joseph Harmon on Thursday, during a post-Cabinet media briefing, where he said that the contract has been awarded to Sattaur Mohammed and Son construction and Hardware Supplies. It was noted that the project will benefit the village which has a total of 200 households and according to Harmon, 265 students from the area will benefit from the new institution. Secondary school students from Waramuri and neighbouring villages usually travel some 25 miles to the Santa Rosa Secondary School located farther inland at Moruca. Meanwhile, in other contracts which have been green-lighted by Cabinet, Harmon announced that a bridge at Tabatinga in Region Nine, near the border town of Lethem will be renovated at a cost of $ 18.1M. The solid concrete bridge will benefit the residents of Tabatinga in their travels to and from Lethem. In Region One, a reinforced concrete bridge at Arocuro in the Wauna/White Water area in the Mabaruma Sub-Region was also green-lighted by Cabinet. The bridge which will be built at a cost of $16.3M will be constructed by Builders Hardware and General Supplies. Harmon announced that under the government’s HEYS programme, a total of $168M has been given the green light to enable the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs to pay facilitators in the 10 administrative regions a monthly stipend of $65,000. The monies will cover the stipends for the period May-December, 2016. The government has also permitted a $181.7M contract for the supply of juice to the Ministry of Education by Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL).

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

Gov’t to establish National Border Institute

THE Government of Guyana has agreed to the establishment of a National Border Institute which will enable the maintenance of records and research materials relevant to the nation’s territorial integrity. The institute’s administration will fall under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cabinet Secretary Joseph Harmon told reporters on Thursday that Cabinet at its most recent meeting agreed that the entity will be a semi-autonomous one and will operate under a Board of Directors. Harmon told reporters that the institute’s Board of Directors will be drawn from key agencies relevant to its

mandate. These include the Attorney General’s Chambers, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), the National Archives, the University of Guyana (UG), Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the Guyana Lands and Surveys Department. He explained that the institute’s work will be undertaken with the solicited assistance of former ambassadors and academics with relevant experience in border matters. Questioned on whether the likes of former Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Rudy Insanally, and Foreign Service expert Dr Odeen Ishmael were men-

tioned, Harmon noted that those among others will be consulted. He added that the border issues are important matters and the institute will operate as a repository of all documents, maps and charts relevant to the country’s borders with neighbouring Suriname and Venezuela, as well as the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). He said Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge, had pointed to the “deplorable state” in which national records were being kept, adding that the country has had to rely on institutional memory of persons involved in previous negotiations. “The idea is that all

Minister of State Mr Joseph Harmon these documents be placed under one institute,” Harmon noted. According to Harmon, the proposed institute will be taken to the National Assembly for debate and possible

passage. Guyana‘s borders with Venezuela and Suriname have been topical in recent years with Venezuela making renewed claims to the Essequibo. While the Surinamese have been more cordial in relations and discussions with the Guyana government, President David Granger has expressed hope that the outgoing United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, will declare a move to the International Court of Justice within coming months to settle once and for all the border controversy with Venezuela. Guyana’s border controversy with Venezuela dates back to over a century, with

renewed and forceful claims after the American oil firm ExxonMobil announced a giant oil find offshore Guyana last May. With the discovery of oil approximately 120 miles offshore Guyana last year, Venezuela extended its land claim and sought this country’s Atlantic front. The decree, deemed by the President as “obnoxious,” was withdrawn after CARICOM backed Guyana in the controversy. Exxon has since announced a second oil discovery of an estimated 800 million to 1.4 billion oil-equivalent barrels in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

GT&T offers free mobile data to affected customers - uncertain when issues will be resolved

GUYANA Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) customers who are unable to buy data plans due to technical difficulties being encountered by the telecommunications company are now benefiting from free data available to all prepaid and postpaid smartphone users. According to a GT&T press statement yesterday, its mobile users have been experiencing difficulties in using the *100# system to recharge their accounts, buy data plans and access other services, including ‘After Two Belongs to You’ (AF2). The problem, which customers have been experiencing since Sunday, is as a result of a breakage on one of the sub-sea systems GTT uses, caused by flooding in Martinique. Since the cable breakage, the company’s technical team has been working around the clock and is exploring several options to have the problem

fixed. “While we cannot currently provide a resolution time, we are making progress in getting alternatives to ensure that there is no such recurrence,” the statement said. In addition, the company noted that its collection of payments for other services has also experienced challenges and it will therefore delay its usual scheduled disconnection process for non-payment to mitigate any issue that may arise. However, recognising that customers are unable to buy data plans due to these difficulties, the company, effective Wednesday, made free data available to all prepaid and postpaid smartphone users. The company also sought to reassure customers that once the service is restored, all eligible customers will be compensated for the fact that they could not opt in to FA2. In addition, the data roll-

Friday August 5th, 2016 - 05:00 hrs Saturday August 6th, 2016 - 05:30 hrs Sunday August 7th, 2016 - 05:30 hrs

over balance will be adjusted for those customers who normally re-subscribe at the expiry of their data plan. “GTT will continue to keep our customers updated via the traditional and social media and will make every effort to minimize the issues which resulted from the sub-sea cable break,” the statement said. The company also expressed regrets and apologized for the inconvenience caused.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

ARIES - Office politics can impede your progress today. Although you are prepared to do whatever it takes to fulfill your professional obligations, it’s still a struggle to overcome the resistance of your coworkers. It might seem as if an authority figure is working against you now, but it’s your choice as to whether or not to buy into anyone else’s negativity. Sweet success is your best revenge. TAURUS - You have a green thumb and make beauty bloom on many forms. Beautiful Venus enters earthy Virgo and your 5th House of Self-Expression today, helping you create a garden of joy. You give off the air of being able to manifest flowers in the desert and bring happiness to those you love. However, Venus also forms a tricky aspect to resourceful Pluto, requiring you to transform awkward moments into pleasant ones. Connections with others are difficult only if you try to control your feelings. Let emotions flow and then let them go GEMINI - You are living life boldly these days yet anticipate a change as you step back from the hectic pace. Nevertheless, your creativity is enhanced as artistic Venus dances into your 4th House of Roots today. But her difficult aspect with unforgiving Pluto can impede your self-expression until you deal with unfinished business on the home front. Blood makes you related; loyalty makes you family. CANCER - While it’s challenging to see a situation from someone else’s point of view, it’s crucial to do so if you want the relationship to grow. Processing your emotions will bring you the confidence to express your own opinions more effectively while still remaining open to those of others. You’re appreciated for your willingness to discuss complex issues now that friendly Venus is visiting refined Virgo in your 3rd House of Communication. You can’t judge people’s choices without understanding their reasons. Treat others with the same respect you wish to receive. LEO - You may desperately try to maintain a practical perspective on your finances today, but difficulties arise from your tendency to indulge your extravagant tastes. Even if you intend to limit your desires to those things that are the most valuable, your practical perspective might not last. Although loving Venus enters efficient Virgo in your 2nd House of Self-Worth, her stressful aspect to passionate Pluto has you chasing rainbows instead of real satisfaction. Balancing your open heart with common sense helps you avoid unnecessary disappointment. VIRGO - You are facing important decisions now, especially in financial matters. If you’ve been wavering, this is the right time to tune into your gut feelings and take decisive action. It helps if your choices are rooted in self-confidence, which, thankfully, receives a boost when attractive Venus enters your sign today. Your charming personality and sense of style turns heads in your direction during this alluring transit. But don’t expect an easy victory since ruthless Pluto is testing your resolve. It has been said that if the road is straight and smooth, you’re likely going the wrong way. LIBRA - Set aside your pursuit of passing pleasures today so you can be clear about which desires matter the most. You are in a serious frame of mind and want to narrow your options as sensual Venus enters discriminating Virgo. It makes sense to simplify your relationships and eliminate distractions in preparation for the changes ahead. Given a choice, forgo immediate gratification in the name of long-term emotional balance. SCORPIO - You are eager to solidify a relationship now, but might not know how to reach your goal. However, old issues come to the surface and show you where you might have made mistakes. But go easy on the self-criticism, since the point is to improve your capacity for love and pleasure, rather than dishing out punishment. Although you might feel jealousy or resentment, motivate yourself to take positive action rather than dwelling upon the past SAGITTARIUS - You’re more concerned with your career path than anything else now. Diplomatic Venus camps out in your 10th House of Career through the end of the month, enhancing your reputation and attracting lucrative opportunities. Nevertheless, your familiar struggle between freedom and responsibility may come back to haunt you. Nevertheless, find ways to meet your obligations while still allocating enough free time for play. As Albert Einstein said, “Creativity is contagious; pass it on.” CAPRICORN - Communicating your intentions about the next phase of your life is essential today. Magnetic Venus attracts you to exotic people in faraway places when she joins the planetary pack in your 9th House of Travel. However, her presence in earthy Virgo keeps your feet on the ground. Your pragmatic approach to living provides a strong foundation for facing the rising tide of feelings that can wash reason away now. Follow your dreams but be sure to pack your integrity along for the ride AQUARIUS - A never-ending string of little issues require your attention now, but it’s wise to save some of your time to think about your long-term goals. Caution is stressed as modest Venus steps into meticulous Virgo and your 8th House of Intimacy, but the presence of mental Mercury, the evocative Moon and bombastic Jupiter already have you focusing on the more complex emotional dynamics. Nevertheless, as Lao Tzu wrote, “He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself if enlightened.” PISCES -It may be time to repair a damaged partnership, but it’s nearly impossible to bring passion into a conversation without experiencing some loss of control. Fortunately, you’re more alluring now as captivating Venus visits your 7th House of Relationships. Being clear about what you want is a good idea that becomes more difficult in the days ahead. A magical connection can stir romantic feelings, but you’ll need to see where it goes over time to see if it’s real.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

Digicel supports youth-friendly summer initiatives DIGICEL Guyana has pledged its support to several youth-friendly initiatives for the summer holidays such as zoo camps and religious and lifestyle choices. “Youths and youth development is[sic] an important aspect of our mandate here at Digicel. One major fraction of our contribution to youth development is our Schools’ Football Championship, which is in its sixth year, which sees youths from all across benefiting as a result of this tournament,” Sponsorship Executive Louanna Abrams said in a statement. These summer initiatives are no different, since they are contributing positively to the lives of young people. Digicel said it is therefore proud to be associated with the Muslim Youth Organisation, Social Life Issues, Buxton Youth Developers and The Protected Areas Commission during their summer activities. The summer classes organised by Social Life Issues will cover drug addiction, suicide, HIV and AIDS prevention and much more, while the Muslim Youth Organisation’s courses will deal with mandatory aspects of a Muslim’s life, as well as provide knowledge on social issues which are rampant in today’s society. The Protected Areas Commission will provide a series of activities for children, including animal-feeding, tree-planting, bird-watching, and field trips. Buxton Youth Developers will focus on making a great difference in the lives of youths in Buxton and surrounding communities.

Above: Digicel’s Senior Sponsorship and Events Executive, Louanna Abrams, and President of the MYO Azad Ibrahim at the handing-over of the cheque Below: Abrams and Programme Coordinator of Social Life Issues Guidance Service, Fay Gilgious-Greaves, accepts the cheque

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

Overseasbased ‘homey’ pays it forward - treats underprivileged kids to school supplies, other ‘goodies’ By Vishani Ragobeer CHILDREN aged four to 12 from the Sophia and Tucville Primary Schools on Thursday benefited from donations of school supplies and goodies from overseas-based Guyanese Kerwin Adams. Mr Adams noted that he left Guyana’s shores for the U.S.A. when he was just six years old, and has managed to establish himself at a law firm there. During his time overseas, he founded the ‘Lifting Yourself for Tomorrow’s Success’ Foundation, where he carries out ‘toy drives’ for needy children in that country. “I was blessed enough to be fortunate,” he said, adding that he wanted to give back to children in his home country that may need the extra help. Adams mentioned that he felt that “the economy in Guyana is bad” and that this is his way of “helping out.” This is the fifth time he has been doing such an outreach programme in Guyana, and this time he managed to cater for some 40 children from the Sophia and Tucville Primary Schools. Every year since 2011 he has been treating the children to "goodie bags" and provides them with school supplies such as book bags, books and stationery for the new school year at an event hosted at the South View Tavern in South Ruimveldt. His cousin, Keisha Adams, he said, is the person who organised the items for this outreach programme and she also assembled the children. Keisha Adams is also President of the "Lifting Yourself for Tomorrow’s Success" organisation.

Rohee rocks ... From page 8 at multiple agencies. For instance, an audit into the financial operations and functioning of the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project has revealed that over 1900 laptops, totalling in excess of $115M, are currently unaccounted for, while defective laptops have taken the total losses to over $300M. Another audit into the operations of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has revealed that contracts issued by the Authority were mismanaged, while over $9M was spent on fuel for vehicles that were described as “not working.” In addition to several other irregularities uncovered by the auditors, former Public Service Minister under the PPP Jennifer Westford and her Personnel Officer (PO) Margaret Cummings appeared before the court to face larceny and forgery charges, respectively, last year. The charges were in connection with the alleged illegal transfer of eight vehicles to themselves and friends, which were the property of the government. The 42-year-old former minister was slapped with four counts of attempting to commit a felony and was granted $800,000 bail. And despite these incidents being highlighted in the audits, Ramotar contended that this “smear campaign is being sensationalised” by the very media who inculcated the belief in Guyanese that everything the PPP/C did was corrupt. He went on to suggest that “the mere fact that nothing of substance is being discovered by the auditors is clear evidence that the perception of corruption under the PPP/C administration was engineered by speculation and distortion [and not based on reality].”

Kerwin Adams [centre,back row] poses with students of the Tucville Primary School as they show off their gifts

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

Eight beauties in line vying for the crown ‒ for Mahdia ‘Summer Queen’ Pageantbeauties along with cash and other covWHILE it’s the bigger pageants like Miss World Guyana and Miss Guyana Universe that receive the most attention, it’s the less-heard-of affairs that help some of these beauties to reach that level. A shining example of this is aspiring doctor and pageant queen, Treasure James, who moved from participating in her first pageant in Port Kaituma in 2011, to placing First Runner-up at the Miss World Guyana 2016 pageant. Now, the 22-year-old beauty plays an active role in coordinating smaller pageants, having done so for the recently concluded Miss Port Kaituma and Miss Emancipation pageants. Currently, Treasure is busy preparing for the upcoming ‘Mahdia Summer Queen’ pageant, which will see eight local

eted prizes. Said Treasure, “People shouldn’t underestimate these smaller pageants, because the girls get to use these as stepping stones to get to the bigger pageants. But moreso, it also allows some persons who may not be eligible for those pageants to still be able to enjoy themselves and be a part of pageantry.” MABARUMA GIRL A native of Mabaruma, Treasure stated that pageantry in the interior is a big deal, and, as such, are highly anticipated by community members. “It has a lot of benefits, both in business and entertainment; everybody benefits from it in those areas: The hotels, the taxis, the food places, because people will come out in their numbers to support, and will even travel

from Georgetown,” she said. She noted that the event is used as a sort of community bonding affair as well, due to the lack of entertainment in those parts. Having had much experience in the pageant arena over the last five years, Treasure stated too that it is her aim to host other pageants like these so as to give young women the opportunity to participate in the confidence-boosting arena of pageantry. “It’s very exciting; I am also trying to bring a different level of pageantry to the interior, so I am working with these girls to put their best foot forward and represent the community to the best of their ability,” she said. The Mahdia Summer Queen Beauty Pageant will be held on August 20 at Vidya’s Yard, in Mahdia. Here’s a look at the young women who will be competing for the crown.

Vanessa Alexander, 18, of Kwakwani

Eksi Edwards, 22 of Buxton, ECD

Tayana Lashley, 16, of Mahdia

Abiola Speede, 24, of Port Kaituma

Zineoby Ward, 23, of Enmore, ECD

Princess Williams,18, of Georgetown

Giovanna Rahaman-Santos, 18, of Mahdia Rishana Lambert, 23, of Triumph, ECD

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

Modern-day ‘Queh-Queh’...

‘Different! Distorted!’ ‒ says ACDA’s Sister Marshall By Shauna Jemmott “IT’S different; it has been distorted!” That’s the verdict of Sister Clementine Marshall of the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) on the subject of modern-day ‘Queh-Queh, the Afro-Guyanese version of wedding-eve celebrations. Queh-Queh, also known as locally as ‘Ca-cah-lay’, is the most exciting ceremonial event before the wedding. It is a time of celebration with music and gyration just hours away from the coming together of two families through marriage of their daughter and son. It is a ritual of song and dance that is performed on the eve of the wedding, and

Queh is supposed to be our ancestors’ way of telling a young woman if she’s gonna to get married, she’s gotta know about sex. “So they’re telling her, in the Creolese way, ‘This is how to treat a man; you must wash yuh husband clothes.’” What it essentially is, she further explained, is a forum at which to offer advice, especially to the young woman preparing for life after the wedding ceremony. “Yes, there is a satiric way about the thing... but it’s just advice; that is the way they gave advice to a young woman when she’s gonna get married,” Sister Marshall said. “So it’s not supposed to be a place where little children are.”

VERY SUGGESTIVE ‘Queh-Queh’ songs are very suggestive, and in many of the celebrations in recent times, obscene language and vulgarity have been introduced, distorting its true purpose. African drums, chants of folk songs, and an exciting ring dance joyfully bond families and supporters in giving the couple a grand send-off, but Sister Marshall said many times she’s turned up at events and is not familiar with many of the songs anymore. “The ‘Queh-Queh’ is supposed to introduce the boy to the girl’s family, and then he has to search for his bride; buy his bride to show that she has value,” she said. Comparing the songs long ago to those of today, Sister Marshall said: “First, they used to sing things like ‘Nabah Virgie son’, but now it’s ‘Ah woman in jail’. Where on EARTH did that come from! It’s so distasteful!” DOWNRIGHT DISRESPECTFUL The composition these days is completely vulgar, and features messages that are purely disrespectful to women, often using colours to describe the state of their ‘privates’. “I hate it! I hate it! As soon as I see somebody raise it, I either sit down or I leave,” Sister Marshall said, adding: “But then again, they have women who participate in those things and never object to the things they are singing. “The whole moral is just gone, so we’re hoping that young people, especially young girls, would understand how precious they are until they get married.” Some of the traditional ‘Queh-Queh’ folk songs are: Goo’night aye, goo’night o; Missy laas she gol’ ring; Hear Auntie Bess; Cuma- cuma fish; Uncle Joe; Sitira gal; Tung na mah; Run about on Sunday School; Oh gal, ah too love yuh; Ting na regulah; Itanamee; Janie gyal; De watah coal; See me li’l brown boy; and Las’ night, ah was drunk. According to Online sources, the lyrics of ‘Missy lost she gold ring’ follow the traditional pattern of Queh-Queh, involving searches and innuendos, as ‘Missy’, representative of a dislocated and mentally denuded people, continues her search for a long-lost identity, philosophy and spirituality in order to complete the ancient circle of life through the marriage of her body and soul.

was exported from the Namibian tribes in south-west Africa by Africans who came to Guyana during the trans-atlantic slave trade. But according to Sister Marshall, who is often called upon to take charge of several ‘Queh-Queh’ festivities, the value of the ‘Queh-Queh’ is on the verge of being lost, in that the ceremony in which children were once kept at bay now involves them in lawlessness. ‘ADULT THING’ “In the past, persons would ask me to go to a wedding and to carry on a ‘Queh-Queh’,” Sister Marshall said, adding: “In the first place, ‘Queh-Queh’ is an adult thing; it’s not for children. So when you go to ‘Queh-Queh’ and you see little eightyear-olds and 10-year-olds talking about ‘Ah woman in front and a man behind’, I hate it!” Whenever such things happen, Sister Marshall said, she would register her disapproval by either refusing to participate in the ceremony, or just walk out. Many people, she said, do not understand the purpose of the pre-marriage ceremony. As she painstakingly explained, “Queh-

‘Scienc-ing de science’ down in New York (Photos courtesy of the Guyana Cultural Association of New York)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

Three-speed ride

By Neil Primus

CARLOS had a ‘Big Ben’ bicycle. It was one of the oldest cycles in the village. He liked old things, so he took good care of it. The bike was always in tip-top shape.

IT isn’t every day that one stumbles across a singer with the vocal pitch strong enough to reach the heights that the classical genre of Opera requires. Moreover, in Guyana, where our Caribbean culture leads to genres such as Soca and Reggae dominating the airwaves, hearing an Opera singer in our midst would no doubt leave us surprised. But local Opera singer, Kimberly Samuels is, by now, accustomed to the awe-induced reaction of those who hear her sing, and no matter how many times she has performed, she continues to wow her audience, all because Opera is not the first choice you’d think a young Guyanese would aspire to. Yet, classical music has been a part of the young artiste’s life, for as long as she can remember. “My father is a professional musician; so, as a little girl, I grew up watching him teach and sing classical music. And I loved it,” Kimberly said, adding that since her entire family had been brought up in the world of music, it was only natural that she became a musician herself. “When I perform, people are shocked; they wonder if it is for real, because it is not something you hear every day in Guyana. But they love it; that’s how I continue to get booked,” Kimberly said. LIVE CONCERTS Over the years, she has

He lived in a sprawling village surrounded by sugarcane fields. His was a farming community; their crop was sugarcane. Most of the villagers worked at the nearby sugar estate. Carlos rode everywhere he went; he even rode down to the city. This took two hours, but he

pera anyone?

Kimberly Samuels

performed at many live concerts, church functions, weddings and even for the US Embassy. Yet, she maintains a low profile. However, after hearing about the E-Networks Talent show, “The Spotlight”, Kimberly knew she had to compete; though it did take some encouragement from friends and family to actually get her to audition. “When I went up,” she said, “first I sang a Whitney Houston song, because I wasn’t sure what they wanted to hear; and I figured people wouldn’t appreciate Opera. But the judges weren’t impressed. “Then I asked them if I could sing something else. And when I sang Opera, they were blown away.” Now that she is in her element, and as she awaits the next step of the conversation, Kimberly reflects on how much Opera means to

her. Moreover, as one of the only persons well versed in the genre in Guyana, she no doubt appreciates her uniqueness. “I feel comfortable with my talent, because I know that it is something lots of people are not accustomed to, “ Kimberly said, adding: “Most times, it’s the older crowd that knows the songs that I am singing. Or maybe artistic young people can appreciate it; but other people sometimes don’t understand. But I love being different and unique, and I will push on and continue with it, no matter what.” For the Golden Jubilee, Kimberlee recorded the song, “I love Thee, Guyana”, which, like all the other songs dedicated to the occasion, speaks of her love of country, and showcases the pride she feels as a Guyanese.

enjoyed the long ride. According to him, it was very good exercise. Another thing he loved was rum. It was in one of the village’s many rum shops that he spent many late nights. His wife and children would chide him about his drinking habits, but this did little to convince him to stop. Many a night, he could be seen weaving a wayward wobbly course for home. If riding was too difficult, he would get off the bicycle and push. If pushing proved too difficult, he would abandon the old bike and stumble home. He never feared losing it, because it was the only such bike in his village; and as far as he was concerned, it was the only such bike in the world. MOONLESS NIGHT Late one dark, moonless night, Carlos drank enough for two drunken men. He decided to head home before he drank to the point of oblivion. Getting on the ‘Big Ben’ was his first challenge. He fell twice, but got going eventually. He went hither and thither along the dark road. Rain began to fall, and he was soon soaked. The wind picked up, and now he was trembling and cold. Then he hears an unusual

sound coming from the dark roadway he had just passed. Tick! Tick! Tick! Tick! He looked back and saw a man riding towards him. The man passed close to him, and he noticed the nice, shiny cycle. “Good night,” Carlos said. The man smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. “I like your bike,” Carlos ventured. “Me too,” was the cool reply. “It’s a three-speed cycle, right?” Carlos enquired. No reply. “Looks in fine condition.” The owner smiled, and passed Carlos. Carlos looked at his retreating back, but got a terrible shock. Right before his two startled, drunken eyes, the man and bike disappeared! JUMBIE JOKE That was when poor Carlos realised he had been socialising with a ‘jumbie’. Fear took over, and rum retreated. Carlos began to mash pedal like mad. His ‘Big Ben’ became a flying comet. Tick! Tick! Tick! Tick! Turn to page 22 ►

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

‘Cosby’ star’s husband files for divorce ‒ one week after pregnancy announcement IT’S clearly a very emotional time for Keshia Knight Pulliam. Pulliam’s husband, former NFL ‘pro’, Ed Hartwell, filed for divorce from her on Tuesday, just days after the 37-year-old actress announced she was pregnant, and nearly seven months after the two were married. In an exclusive sit-down with ET on Wednesday in Atlanta, Pulliam, who wasn’t wearing her wedding ring, broke down in tears when discussing her issues with Hartwell. “I don’t know if it’s the hormones… No, it’s all of it, because it’s fresh,” Pulliam tells ET’s Nischelle Turner, fighting back tears. “And it’s hurtful. And I knew I couldn’t be silent, because this isn’t about money; this isn’t about fame. This isn’t about social media ‘likes’ or ‘follows’; this is about my character; my integrity as a woman being attacked... And that’s not OK.” Pulliam says she was given no warning, and was blindsided when Hartwell, 38, told

through this and forgive him for the sake of that “time will always tell the truth.” the child. “You can be a cat in the sandbox and try to “Like, I had divorce papers ready; I pre- cover that up as much as you want. Truth presented it to him. … Once I was pregnant, I vails,” she says.“ I didn’t do anything wrong. did decide to give him that one last chance.” I didn’t cheat on my husband. I didn’t do it. “The part that hurt me the most when he It’s really that simple.” filed for divorce was that he had asked me to Pulliam gets emotional when asked if she give him another chance, and I was willing still loves Hartwell. to do that and forgive him, for our family,” “I love who he pretended to be,” she she claims. says. “I love who he portrayed himself as, Pulliam says that having children was al- and the one mistake I made was, when he ways a plan for both of them. The former line- showed me who he really was, not believbacker is already a father to his nine-year-old ing him. Not believing him the first time. son, Ed Jr., with his ex-wife, Real Housewives When he said he wanted our marriage, he of Atlanta star, Lisa Wu. wanted our family – I believed him. That’s “We both wanted to get married; I was why I gave him this one last chance, only not pushing it,” she says of their New Year’s for him to pull the rug from under me and Eve wedding. blindside me.” “This is his baby; he wanted more children. He was excited once he found out that we were having a little girl. TODAY “There was never a › The Ministry of Sound is about to turn the heat way up with question about that; at no ‘Friction’ at Palm Court, tonight. point after we got pregnant Its Soca Vs. Dancehall, Old Vs. New. Which side will you was there an issue of the take? fact that we’re having a Enjoy music from DJ Ryan, Selector Seen Up and SJ Avibaby.” nash. Pulliam now has “no Everyone free before 22:00hrs. Admission $2,000. desire” to still be married to Hartwell, but instead, wants TOMORROW to focus on their child. › 704 Sports Bar invites you to get crazy at its Soca Rave, “There’s a baby in the which starts from 21:00hrs. middle of this!” she stresses. Ladies are free until 22:00hrs; admission is $2,000. “And regardless, if we don’t There will be free shots served at the door, and free glow want to be married, that’s accessories that will help give the party that glow! Come fine, because we agree on and ‘get on bad’ at the Soca that. But this baby is what’s Rave! important, and I feel like that’s being lost.” **Summer is on, and Pulse The actress says she Entertainment is here to hasn’t been in touch with remind you with its ‘Body Hartwell. Shots’ Party at Palm Court. “There’s nothing to It’s the best way to take a say at this point,” she ex- shot! There will be four plains. “We can discuss that ‘body-shot’ booths where through attorneys. I have to you can enjoy private body move forward; I have to do shots all night. It’s said to what I need to to release the be the wickedest party of hurt... and to be happy for the summer, so come out me and my baby girl, be- and be the judge of that cause the stress isn’t good; for yourself! Party starts the stress isn’t healthy. And at 21:00hrs. Admission: my only priority is her.” $2,000 before 22:00hrs. Pulliam says she trusts

Buzzing this weekend

her he had filed for divorce. The Cosby Show star says she has never cheated on Hartwell, but alleges that he had been unfaithful during their marriage, and that she was actually the one who wanted to get a divorce before deciding to give him another chance. “Early on in my marriage when I was faced with this, I was ready to leave. It’s not OK,” Pulliam says. “In the process, I found out I was pregnant. And I had to take another hard look and decide if I wanted to try to work

Three-speed... The sound was coming from the road behind him. This time, he did not look back. All he left behind him was dust on the lonely dark stretch. Tick! Tick! Tick! Tick! The sound was closing in fast; Carlos increased speed. Tick! Tick! Tick! Tick! It was getting uncomfortably close. The old man hit high gear; he was now flying along, fuelled by alcohol and terror. Tick! Tick! Tick! Tick! “Like yuh want race meh?” The voice was right beside him, and he could see the shine on the bike. GRAVE ERROR Carlos dug deep and gave one great burst of speed. He was moving so quickly that his drunken brain could not keep up. It was only when he had flashed past his home that he realised his grave error. Tick! Tick! Tick! Tick! There would be no turning back for him.

From page 21

He kept going. It took a while for his foggy brain to realise that there was no more ticking behind him. Now, it was stopping that presented the next immediate challenge. He came to ground on the soft green lawns of the church. His bike hit the bridge, and came to an abrupt stop. Carlos couldn’t. He went sailing off the ‘Big Ben’ and over the fence, in a dive that would be the envy of even the olympian, Michael Phelps. He landed in an undignified heap near to the steps of the old church. He stayed down, groaning in exhaustion rather than pain. “Yuh *?#! lucky yuh in deh in de chu’ch yard or else!” Carlos started to whimper. Meanwhile, at home, his wife was waiting up, worried about him as usual. Suddenly, she heard a sound outside. Tick! Tick! Tick! Tick! “Wow! Like Carlos buy a new bicycle!” She jumped up and headed for the door to let him in...

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

STAG Elite League integral to football development ‒ GFF president By Stephan Sookram

“WE’VE seen the results of it in our international performance as a National team. Guyana have had a total of six international engagements and I think we have been successful at four,” were the words of Guyana Football Federation (GFF) president Wayne Forde. Forde was speaking yesterday at the presentation of accolades for the Finale stage of the recently concluded STAG Elite League football tournament. He continued, “In October, we are going to be coming up against Jamaica and Suriname in round three of the CFU Scotiabank Cup tournament and I think the STAG Elite League has provided the platform for the player

development that we have been clamouring for over the past couple years.” He dished out a heaping serving of praise on the fans who turned out to support the league, saying, “Without the fans we simply do not have the kind of incentive that we think the players need to play and to put their best efforts out on the field. Notwithstanding a few challenges during both phases of the League, I think it was an exceptionally good league.” Meanwhile, STAG Beer Brand coordinator Linden Henry contended, “We will obviously be sponsoring this league again with no regrets. I’d like to remind the teams that though this a presentation for the close of this round, I don’t want the football arena out there to believe that this is the end of the Elite League.

We have the league continuing.” He, however, urged that more teams should be involved in the 2016/2017 edition of the tournament, calling for ‘new faces’ in the competition and stating that the tournament must become countrywide. Meanwhile Slingerz FC carted off the lion’s share of the accolades, taking the Most Points for the Finale. Slingerz’ Trayon Bobb was also named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) while his teammate Julian Wade collected the tournament’s Highest Scorer award (14 goals), Winslow McDowall (Best Goalkeeper) and Best Coach (Joseph ‘Bill’ Wilson). Buxton United were adjudged the Most Disciplined team of the tournament.

Rio set for 'coolest' Olympic opening ceremony RIO 2016 opening ceremony organisers have urged athletes to participate in the Olympic curtain-raiser today, promising them "the coolest party they have seen". Some delegations, including Australia and Britain, have said that many of their athletes will miss the fourhour extravaganza at the Maracana stadium to concentrate on their events. "We call on athletes to come to what will be the coolest party they have seen," the ceremony's executive producer Marco Balich told a news conference yesterday. "We have created a big athletes' parade and artistic parade with a surprise at the end. "The athletes are the centre of the show. We know that the Maracana stadium is a long way from (the Olympic village), but I encourage all athletes to participate because it will be a magnificent experience. And we know that the Brazilian audience will react in a beautiful way,

as Brazilians always do.” Balich has previously been involved in 16 Olympic opening and closing ceremonies and Rio will be the third time he has been executive producer, after Torino 2006 and Sochi 2014. He said Brazil's worst recession in decades had played a part in the show's content, which will feature less hightech effects than at previous Games. Some US$21M have been spent on the opening ceremony in Rio, about half London's outlay four years ago. "The budget is irrelevant," Balich said. "I think it's right, given the situation the world and Brazil finds itself in, that we don't have an opulent ceremony. We want to deliver a show with heart and passion. "Our repertoire will be very analog but it will be deployed with high values like peace and tolerance, which are needed in the world today. And we have conveyed the message of sustainability which has excited and moti12:20 hrs Encore Moi

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vated all of us." Balich played down a decision by suspended president Dilma Rousseff to miss the ceremony as she faces an impeachment trial for allegedly breaking budget rules. Former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has also declined an invitation. "It's important that the Olympic ceremony stays in the collective mind forever," Balich said. "You don't remember who was the president at other Olympic Games. You remember Muhammad Ali lighting the torch in Atlanta and the archer in Barcelona. We have to celebrate humanity and celebrate Rio." Another of the creative directors, Fernando Meirelles, said previous opening ceremonies, particularly the spectacle that kick-started the Beijing 2008 Games, had served as inspiration for Rio. "Beijing was amazing, it set a new standard," Meirelles said. "If Beijing was powerful and London was smart, Rio will be cool." Tipperary 11:25 hrs Elusive In Paris 11:55 hrs Lyin Eyes 12:25 hrs Go Kart 12:55 hrs Capri 13:25 hrs Decisive Intent 14:00 hrs Bert Leaf 14:30 hrs Valentana 15:05 hrs Zeftan American Racing Tips Saratoga Race 1 Gee Pea Ess Race 2 General Bellamy Race 3 Stevie Q Race 4 Literata Race 5 Quanique Race 6 Encrypt Race 7 Money Multiplier Race 8 Casual Cocktail Race 9 Camelot Kitten

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

Australia lose openers after Mendis lifts Sri Lanka (REUTERS) - Kusal Mendis excelled under pressure again, hitting a sparkling 86 and featuring in two important partnerships to help Sri Lanka overcome a shaky start and post 281 all out on the opening day of the second Test against

Australia yesterday. The hosts returned to reduce Australia to 54 for two, with Dilruwan Perera dismissing David Warner (42) with the final delivery of the day. Usman Khawaja was unbeaten on 11 with Australia

trailing by 227 runs. Paceman Vishwa Fernando made a memorable Test debut for Sri Lanka, opening the attack and dismissing Joe Burns for a duck with his second delivery. It was, however, Mendis

who hauled the hosts back into the contest after Mitchell Starc's two-wicket burst left them reeling at nine for two inside five overs. The 21-year-old righthander added 108 runs with Kusal Perera (49) and 67 with captain Angelo

Mitchell Starc takes the best bowling figures by a visiting seamer in Galle.

Mathews (54) to steady the innings. Mendis pulled off a similar rescue act in the first Test at Pallekele where Sri Lanka were six for two in their second innings before his career-best 176 helped secure the hosts' 106-run victory against the world's top-ranked Test team. Left-arm paceman Starc (5-44) gave Australia a dream start by dismissing Dimuth Karunaratne for a golden duck after Mathews had won the toss and opted to bat on Galle's spin-friendly track. Kaushal Silva (five) also fell to an innocuous Starc delivery but Mendis and Perera staged a brilliant recovery, finding boundaries regularly during their century-stand.

Spinner Nathan Lyon denied Perera his half-century but runs kept flowing with Mathews dictating terms with clean hitting and decisive footwork against the spinners. The Sri Lanka captain also unfurled the reverse sweep against Lyon to collect a couple of boundaries. Starc dismissed Mendis to claim his 100th Test wicket, ending the righthander's 137-ball knock which included 10 fours and two sixes. Left-arm spinner Jon Holland impressed with his flight and loop on his debut Test but had to wait for his first wicket until the final session when he trapped Dhananjaya de Silva (37) lbw with a full toss.

SCOREBOARD SRI LANKA 1st innings D. Karunaratne c Burns b Starc 0 K. Silva c Nevill b Starc 5 K. Perera c Smith b Lyon 49 K. Mendis c Nevill b Starc 86 A. Mathews c Nevill b M. Marsh 54 D. Chandimal c Khawaja b Hazlewood 5 D. de Silva lbw b Holland 37 D. Perera lbw b Lyon 16 R. Herath b Starc 14 L. Sandakan b Starc 1 V. Fernando not out 0 Extras: (b-4, lb-10) 14 Total: (all out, 73.1 overs) 281 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-9, 3-117, 4-184, 5-199, 6-224,, 7-259, 8-265, 9-274. Bowling: M. Starc 16.1-7-44-5, J. Hazlewood 15-3-51-1, N. Lyon 18-1-78-2, M. Marsh 9-0-30-1, J. Holland 15-064-1. AUSTRALIA 1st innings J. Burns c D. Perera b V. Fernando 0 D. Warner c Mathews b D. Perera 42 U. Khawaja not out 11 Extras: (lb-1) 1 Total: (for 2 wickets, 13.3 overs) 54 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-54. Bowling: V. Fernando 2-0-16-1, R. Herath 1-0-3-0, D. Perera 5.3-1-14-1, A. Mathews 3-1-13-0, D. de Silva 2-1-7-0.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

Azhar, Aslam put Pakistan in control at Edgbaston

Pakistan's Azhar Ali walks off at the end of the day. (Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs)

(REUTERSs) - Azhar Ali's patient century lifted Pakistan to 257 for three and a dominant position on the second day of the third Test against England at Edgbaston yesterday. Replying to the home team's 297 all out, Azhar shared a second-wicket partnership of 181 with Sami Aslam on the way to an excellent knock of 139 as England endured a frustrating day in the field. Aslam was run-out for 82 after being called for a quick single by Azhar who was dropped twice before completing his 10th Test century. "It was a hard-working day," said Azhar. "You come to England wanting to perform in English conditions so there's always something to prove here. "I'm really pleased with the hundred I got. England bowlers don't give you easy runs." The hosts made an early breakthrough with the fourth ball of the day when Mohammad Hafeez cut James Anderson straight to Gary Ballance at point and was out for a duck. Anderson induced a rash stroke from Azhar shortly af-

ter lunch but Joe Root spilled a difficult catch at second slip and England's anxiety increased. MAIDEN FIFTY Azhar, also dropped by Moeen Ali off his own bowling, drove Steven Finn off the back foot for three to bring up his 21st Test half-century and Aslam, 20, swept spinner Moeen for four to reach his maiden Test fifty in his third match. Azhar got to three figures by gloving a Stuart Broad bouncer to the fine leg boundary, celebrating the milestone with 10 press-ups. He continued to punish the England attack, hitting a

total of 15 fours and one six, before edging the last ball of the day from Chris Woakes to Alastair Cook at first slip. Younus Khan was unbeaten on 21 at the close. Paceman Anderson said he had apologised to the umpires after showing dissent when he was warned for running down the wicket. "I've always had a bit of an issue running down the wicket ... and I probably got a bit out of order with the umpires there," he said. "I would rather have that competitiveness but I also want to play in the spirit of the game." The four-match series is level at 1-1.

SCOREBOARD ENGLAND 1st innings 297 (G. Ballance 70, M. Ali 63; S. Khan 5-96) PAKISTAN 1st innings M. Hafeez c Ballance b Anderson 0 S. Aslam run-out (, Vince) 82 Az. Ali c Cook b Woakes 139 Y. Khan not out 21 Extras: (b-2, lb-12, nb-1) 15 Total: (for 3 wickets, 90 overs) 257 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-181, 3-257. Bowling: J. Anderson 19-6-32-1, S. Broad 19-3-49-0 (nb-1), S. Finn 16-3-44-0, C. Woakes 19-3-52-1, M. Ali 15-2-63-0, J. Vince 1-0-2-0, J. Root 1-0-1-0.

Cyclists to battle in 12th Annual Reagan Rodrigues 50-miler on Sunday GUYANA’s premier cyclists will do battle on Sunday when the Carlton Wheelers Cycle Club, in collaboration with the Ricks and Sari Agro Industries stages the 12th Annual Reagan Rodrigues Memorial 50-mile cycle road race in the West Demerara area. Defending champion Michael Anthony will have his work cut out this year as several United States-based cyclists, who have been performing creditably on the U.S. circuit, are currently in Guyana and are expected to face the starter, come Sunday. Among the overseas-based riders are Raynauth `Obeah Man’ Jeffrey, Jamal John and Geron Williams and, apart from them, Anthony will also have to stave off the challenges of `Romello and Jevon Crawford and others, but his (Anthony) Team Evolution teammates Orville Hinds, Marlon `Fishy’ Williams

Defending champion Michael Anthony

and Raul Leal could and should ensure that he makes a successful defence of the title. Anthony’s time for the event last year was one hour 56 minutes 35 seconds. John won the junior category last year, while Junior Niles won the veterans Under-50 years category. The mountain bike and ladies categories were won by Sean Budhram and Whitney Poyer respectively.

The race wheels off from outside the Wales Police Station, West Bank of Demerara at 08:00hrs and proceeds to Leonora before returning to Schoonord, just before the Demerara Harbour Bridge for the finish. The top six overall finishers will be rewarded for their efforts as well as the first three juniors, the first three veterans, the first three mountain bikers and the first three females. Eight prime prizes are on offer and members of the Rodrigues family will be there to present prizes to the respective winners. Reagan Rodrigues who was born on February 21, 1948, died on August 4, 2004. He was a former cyclist and former president of the Guyana Cycle Federation and the Carlton Wheelers Cycle Club. He was more known in the sporting fraternity as a race car driver and acquired several racing championship honours.

Rio Olympic Games begin with Brazil women's football win THE RIO 2016 Olympic Games began on Wednesday with a women's football match played in front of a sparse Olympic Stadium crowd. Sweden won 1-0 against South Africa in the opener, before host nation Brazil beat China 3-0. Plenty of empty seats could be seen in the 60 000-capacity venue at kick-off, although more fans arrived before Brazil's game. The football tournament has started two days before today’s opening ceremony because of a packed schedule. More than 11 000 athletes will compete in the first edition of the Olympic Games to be held in South America. There are 42 Olympic sport disciplines, with 306 events over the course of 19 days of competition. Football is the only sport that will be staged at venues across the country. Sweden, who are ranked sixth in the world, secured the first win of the tournament when Nilla Fischer bundled in a second-half goal after a goalkeeping mistake. Brazil, who lost at the quarter-final stage of the London 2012 Games, were comfort-

Monica (C) of Brazil celebrates with teammates after scoring against China during the Rio Olympic football game on Wednesday.

able winners with goals from Monica, Andressa Alves and Cristiane. Striker Marta - who did not add to her 102 goals in 104 caps - said: "Scoring three times against a team like China, with all the pressure we had, I think it's super-perfect." Canada's Janine Beckie scored after just 20 seconds against Australia, the fastest goal in Olympic women's football history, as they won 2-0 at the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paolo. Germany, who finished third in 2000, 2004 and 2008, had no problems against Zimbabwe in their opening game, winning 6-1. At one point it was 2-1 but the African side tired towards the end of the match, conceding three goals

in the final 16 minutes. The USA, who are attempting to win a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal, started their campaign with a 2-0 win over debutantes New Zealand. FIFA women's player-ofthe-year Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan scored in each half at Mineirao stadium in Minas Gerais, as the U.S. retained their unbeaten record in 2016. In the final match of the day, France cruised past Colombia 4-0. An own goal from Carolina Arias opened the scoring, followed by a header from Eugenie Le Sommer, and free-kicks from Camille Abily and Amel Majri. The men's competition, which is contested by Under-23 teams, started yesterday. (BBC Sport)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

Maximum Sports Combat and Strength inks one-year contract GUYANA’S most-viewed television sports programme ‘Maximum Sports Combat and Strength’ recently acquired a one-year contract deal with Space Gym. The contract was inked towards the sustenance of the programme which focuses strictly on combat and strength sports, including boxing, martial arts, powerlifting and body building. Aired every Fridays at 21:05hrs on the National Communications Network (NCN), producer of the one-hour programme, Max Massiah, expressed his gratitude to Mr. Sergio Matos of Space Gym for his timely contribution towards the programme. Space Gym joins a long list of sponsors including:

Manager of Space Gym, Mr Sergio Matos, hands over the one-year sponsorship contract to Producer of Maximum Sports Combat and Strength, Mr Max Massiah, while Roger Callender, Powerlifting champion & coach, and a gym member look on.

Holder hails 'fighter' Chase WEST Indies skipper Jason Holder has praised the heroics of all-rounder Roston Chase in helping to rescue the team from a dire situation on Wednesday. The regional team were looking down the barrel of a second straight defeat after the visitors held a 304-run first-innings lead and found themselves reduced to 48-4 in pursuit. Chase, however, struck a determined unbeaten 137, which combined with other contributions from Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich and Holder ensured that Indians had to settle for a draw. Holder believes the knock more than anything else showed the player’s battling qualities. "He is a character. People don't know Roston off the field but he is a fighter. I played all my cricket throughout my entire life with Roston - junior cricket, Under-13, U-15, U-17, U-19, West Indies A and now West Indies senior team. I have honestly enjoyed playing with Roston because, the character he is, and you know the way he plays cricket,” Holder said.

Roston Chase

"I think a lot of credit must be given to Roston. To come in his second Test match and play the way he did, in these circumstances, full credit to him. I just

hope he continues in this vein. He knows that this is just the start and hopefully he can have a long-lasting career for the West Indies." (Sportsmax.com)

Computer High Tech, Nexgen Global Marketing, Fitness Express, Jermin’s Enterprise, Hand-in-Hand Insurance Company, Guyana Karate College, Giftland Mall and A. Ally and Sons. However, Massiah pointed out that while he is grateful for the support, the sustenance of the show remains an uphill task. To this end, he is pleading with corporate Guyana for their support in keeping with the theme “Entertaining and encouraging a healthy nation through sports”. Massiah can be reached on telephone numbers - 609-8132 or 672-869. Meanwhile, Matos said he is overjoyed to be a part of the programme. Further, due to the current Hero CPL, this Friday’s programme will be aired on Saturday, August 6 from 20:05hrs.

Hope replaces Chandrika in Windies Test squad WEST Indies have included Shai Hope, the 22-yearold opening batsman from Barbados, in their squad for the third Test against India, which begins on August 9 in St Lucia. Hope replaces Rajendra Chandrika, who made scores of 16, 31, 5 and 1 in the first two Tests, and saw his Test average drop to 14.00, the worst by any West Indies opener who has played 10 or more innings. Hope, a right-hand batsman who is also capable of keeping wickets, has played six Tests so far, scoring 171 runs at an average of 15.54. He has been in excellent form in recent months, with two hundreds in his last four matches in the WICB Professional Cricket League four-day tournament, and a century for the WICB President's XI in the Indians' first warm-up match in St Kitts. The selectors have made no other changes to West

Shai Hope

Indies' 14-man squad. India lead the four-Test series 1-0. West Indies squad for third Test: Jason Holder (capt), Kraigg Brathwaite (vice-captain), Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shai Hope, Leon Johnson, Alzarri Joseph, Marlon Samuels.

Hosts Brazil frustrated by South Africa BARCELONA forward Neymar was unable to help Brazil make a winning start to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games as the hosts were held to a goalless draw by 10-man South Africa in Brasilia yesterday. New Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus hit the post for London 2012 runners-up Brazil. South Africa's Mothobi Mvala was sent off just before the hour after picking up a second yellow card for a foul. Group A is a four-way tie on one point after Iraq and Denmark drew 0-0. A sparse crowd inside the Estadio Nacional Mane Garrincha in Brasilia saw a game full of chances but no goals. Iraq were denied victory when Saad Abdul-Amir's long-range attempt was saved by Jeppe Hojbjerg. The men's football tournament started one day before today’s opening ceremony because of a packed schedule. Mexico, who won the

2012 Olympics in London, were held to a 2-2 draw by Germany in Group C. The Mexicans took the lead early in the second half through Oribe Peralta but Arsenal midfielder Serge Gnarby levelled soon after. Rodolfo Pizarro swept Mexico into the lead again but Matthias Ginter, part of Germany's 2014 World Cup-winning squad, powered home a late header to earn his side a point. It was a winning start for

Portugal in Group D as they beat Argentina 2-0 at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Porto striker Goncalo Paciencia opened the scoring midway the second half, firing home from outside the box. A goalkeeping error by Geronimo Rulli then sealed the win for Portugal as the Argentina shot-stopper let Pite's tame shot squeeze through his legs. (BBC Sport)

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Tuesday November 03, 2015) COMPLIMENTS OF: THE TROPHY STALL Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE 176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Johnson Charles-410 runs (Zouks) (2) Chris Gayle-108* (Tallawahs)

Today’s Quiz: (1) Who took most wickets at the end of the round-robin stage of Hero CPL 2016? (2) Who had the best figures at the end of the first part of Hero CPL 2016? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, August 5, 2016

GFF/NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power Nat. U-17 UDFA kicks off tomorrow at Wisburg ground â€Ś Wakapau, Mainstay notch wins in Essequibo Sunday at the Anna Regina Community Centre ground from 13:30hrs, Henrietta United will match skills with Super 11 FC.

Charity (extreme red) and Dartmouth Dominators before the start of the match last Saturday.

THE inclement weather continues to hamper the flow of matches in the inaugural Guyana Football Federation/NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power National Under-17 Intra Association League. The tournament had kicked off in June and lasted for just over four weeks before consistent rainfall put paid to its continuation due to grounds not being in playable conditions. Berbice, East Demerara, Georgetown, East Bank, West Demerara

and Bartica have all been affected. The Upper Demerara leg is set to kick off tomorrow from 12:00hrs at the Wisburg ground. ESSEQUIBO FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION Wakapau did not have to break a sweat to notch full points as their opponents, Super 11 FC failed to show up for the match at the Charity ground last Saturday. The other match for that venue

saw Dartmouth Dominators claw their way back from a 2-0 deficit to earn an equal share of the points against Charity Extreme, the match ending 2-2. Charity had sailed to a 2-0 lead by the 20th minute thanks to goals from Gavin France and Gavin Duke in the 7th and 20th minutes respectively. But a second-half double off the boot of Ridley Victor saw Dartmouth dominate this period of play to secure a draw. Victor was on target

in the 62nd and 68th minutes. Over at Mainstay ground, Henrietta United trounced the home team 4-0 in the lone fixture for the day. Goals were netted by Jumain Bowen in the 12th, Jumanne John in the 27th minute, Jarod Granville in the 44th minute and Christopher Boston in the 80th minute. Matches will continue this weekend. Tomorrow at the New Opportunity Corps ground from 15:30hrs, Queenstown United are set to face Good Hope while on

WEST DEMERARA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION Action is set to resume at the Den Amstel Community Centre ground with one match tomorrow and another on Sunday. Tomorrowâ€™s fixture from 12:00hrs will see Beavers come up against Slingerz FC. On Sunday at the same time and venue, Eagles FC will seek to soar to victory, but standing in their way will be Wales United.

TT Under-15s win regional title THE NATIONAL Under-15 cricketers sealed the West Indies Cricket Board Regional Under-15 50-over title with a four-wicket win in the final round against Guyana in Tanteen, Grenada, Wednesday. It was a virtual final between first placed Trinidad and Tobago and second placed Guyana in the final round yesterday. TT reduced Guyana to a modest 103 all out batting first. In reply TT got to 104/6 to prevail and secure the title. TT finished the tournament unbeaten winning all five of their matches.

Rio set for 27 'coolest' Olympic opening ceremony P.

STAG Elite League integral to football development ‒ GFF president

Winners of the STAG Elite League’s Finale stage pose with their prizes. (Samuel Maughn photo)

Story on page 27

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Amazon Warriors seal spot in CPL final

Wild celebrations erupt after Chris Gayle is bowled by Christopher Barnwell.

SOHAIL Tanvir and Chris Lynn led a good all-round showing from Guyana Amazon Warriors, to notch up a tight win over Jamaica Tallawahs in the first playoff in St Kitt on Wednesday night, thereby booking their place in the final of CPL 2016. Tallawahs will have a second shot at the final come tonight when they play the winner of last night’s second playoff between Trinbago Knight Riders and St Lucia Zouks. Tanvir starred with bat and ball - he finished with standout figures of 2 for 24 to help restrict Tallawahs to 146, before applying the crucial finishing touches to the run chase, wrapping it up with a mighty six over midwicket with two balls to spare. After asking Tallawahs to bat first, Amazon Warriors put

in a solid bowling performance on a pitch that was not ideal for strokeplay. Tanvir was ably supported by the rest of the bowlers, who managed to keep things fairly tight and take wickets at regular intervals. Captain Rayad Emrit took three wickets, while Chris Barnwell, Adam Zampa and Veerasammy Permaul chipped in with one each. Tallawahs' struggles with the bat were perhaps best encapsulated by the innings of their top scorer and captai Chris Gayle, who was unable to up the pace in a knock of 33 off 36. In postmatch comments, Gayle drew attention to the tricky nature of the pitch, but acknowledged that Tallawahs were probably 20 runs short. Amazon Warriors' chase was anchored by Lynn's 47-ball 49, as others played around him.

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However, when Lynn became the fifth wicket to fall, Amazon Warriors still required 38 off 22. The 18th over proved to be the decisive one. After Tanvir launched the second ball over midwicket for six, Rovman Powell, bowling his first over of the match, delivered a full toss above waist height. The free-hit that followed was hit for four and, thereafter, a combination of singles and wides yielded 17 runs off the over. With the equation reduced to 13 off 12, Tanvir and Emrit milked ones and twos until, with three needed off the last three balls, Tanvir finished it off with another gigantic six. After the game, Emrit said he felt Amazon Warriors had yet to play their "best game". He'll be hoping they've saved that best for Sunday's final. FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 2016